Charles Stoneham Jr.'s 2010 Camaro might have looked like this one when new.

Charles Stoneham Jr.'s 2010 Camaro might have looked like this one when new.

Photo: Wieck

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Combining great looks, performance and advanced technology, the 2010 Camaro honors its heritage. Built on the new global rear-wheel-drive platform, the 2010 Camaro acknowledges the original Camaro, produced from 1967 through 1969. The two-door sports coupe features classic proportions.The 2010 Camaro is equipped with 18-inch, or optional 19-inch or 20-inch wheels. The 2010 Camaro's 3.6-liter direct-injection V-6 delivers more power through increased efficiency, while maintaining fuel economy and lowering emissions. It produces 304 horsepower and 273 lb.-ft. of torque. The Camaro SS's 6.2-liter V-8 powertrains include six-speed automatic-equipped and manual-equipped models; and a 400-hp and426-hp version. less

Combining great looks, performance and advanced technology, the 2010 Camaro honors its heritage. Built on the new global rear-wheel-drive platform, the 2010 Camaro acknowledges the original Camaro, produced ... more

Photo: GM

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A Houston couple has sued General Motors, alleging that their son was killed in a 2010 Camaro that malfunctioned due to a faulty ignition switch.

A Houston couple has sued General Motors, alleging that their son was killed in a 2010 Camaro that malfunctioned due to a faulty ignition switch.

Photo: Courtesy Photo

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This is the front of Charles Stoneham Jr.'s Camaro after it struck a house. His parents have sued General Motors, claiming their son's Camaro malfunctioned due to a faulty ignition switch.

This is the front of Charles Stoneham Jr.'s Camaro after it struck a house. His parents have sued General Motors, claiming their son's Camaro malfunctioned due to a faulty ignition switch.

Photo: Courtesy Photo

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The key in this wrecked Camaro remained in the "accessory" position after an accident, indicating it slipped from "on" to "accessory," according to a lawyer representing a Houston couple who have sued General Motors. They claim their son was killed in a 2010 Camaro that malfunctioned due to a faulty ignition switch. less

The key in this wrecked Camaro remained in the "accessory" position after an accident, indicating it slipped from "on" to "accessory," according to a lawyer representing a Houston couple who have sued General ... more

Photo: Courtesy Photo

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Although this car was heavily damaged in an accident, the airbag did not deploy. A Houston couple has sued General Motors, alleging that their son was killed in a 2010 Camaro that malfunctioned due to a faulty ignition switch. less

Although this car was heavily damaged in an accident, the airbag did not deploy. A Houston couple has sued General Motors, alleging that their son was killed in a 2010 Camaro that malfunctioned due to a faulty ... more

Photo: Courtesy Photo

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This Camaro's handbrake is in the up position, indicating the driver used it to try to stop before an accident, according to a lawyer representing a Houston couple that has sued General Motors. Charles and Yvonne Stoneham allege that their son died in a 2010 Camaro that malfunctioned due to a faulty ignition switch. less

This Camaro's handbrake is in the up position, indicating the driver used it to try to stop before an accident, according to a lawyer representing a Houston couple that has sued General Motors. Charles and ... more

Photo: Courtesy Photo

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Mary Barra, CEO of GM, faces lawmakers at a April hearing about the automaker's failures in connection with a faulty ignition switch﻿ linked to 13 deaths.

Mary Barra, CEO of GM, faces lawmakers at a April hearing about the automaker's failures in connection with a faulty ignition switch﻿ linked to 13 deaths.

Photo: DOUG MILLS, STF

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Houston couple suing to have GM held liable for Camaro troubles

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General Motors has until mid-September to answer a Houston couple's wrongful death lawsuit over an allegedly defective Camaro.

Charles and Yvonne Stoneham filed the suit April 23 against General Motors LLC, General Motors Holding LLC and Alvin Motorcars, alleging that the defendants knew that some of the vehicles they sold had faulty ignition switches. The suit is filed in Harris County's 133rd State District Court.

On April 23, 2012, Charles Lee Stoneham Jr., the couple's 21-year-old son, was traveling northbound on Westfield Village Drive in Katy in a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS, the suit states.

He lost control of the vehicle when he suddenly accelerated and then pulled the emergency brake, the suit states.

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The Camaro's back end hit a residence, but the front air bags did not deploy. Head trauma resulting in Stoneham's death could have been less severe if the front air bags had deployed, the suit states.

On Aug. 1, General Motors implemented a compensation program for relatives of people who died or those who suffered serious physical injuries tied to an ignition switch defect in 2.6 million recalled vehicles. The compensation program, however, does not include accidents involving the 2010 Camaro.

In June, GM announced four recalls that included nearly 512,000 Camaros made from 2010 to 2014.

In a June 1 statement, GM said it was recalling the Camaros "because a driver's knee can bump the key FOB and cause the key to inadvertently move out of the 'run' position, with a corresponding reduction or loss of power."

The problem, the company said in June, was not related to the ignition system used in Chevrolet Cobalts and other small cars included in an earlier ignition-switch recall.

Nonetheless, the Stonehams' first amended petition, filed July 31, cites the ignition switch's allegedly faulty design and improper positioning. The design and positioning allowed the ignition to unexpectedly and suddenly move from "On" or "Run" while the vehicle is operating to "Off" or "Acc" (accessory), the petition states.

The defendants should have known that a defective ignition switch could disable the front airbag system, causing the accident at the basis of the lawsuit, according to the petition.

The defendants were served with the plaintiffs' petition on Aug. 20 and have until Sept. 15 to file an answer, said Wendy Zagala, assistant to attorney James Amaro.

On Aug. 21, the plaintiffs filed to dismiss General Motors Holding from the suit due to the holding company's involvement in a bankruptcy case, Zagala said.